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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: can · kid · pop · wound · object · temple · stand · roll

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. kid — to tease
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pop — soda
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. object — an aim
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. object — a thing
  11. stand — to bear
  12. pop — music
  13. object — to protest
  14. pop — to visit
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. roll — a cake
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. roll — a list
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. kid — child
  22. can — to be able to
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com